Davey Woods

Giant Blue Cohosh. Davey Woods SNP, April 24, 2018.

I wish we still have all our old forests with big trees. There are still some in Ohio, but they are very small. I went to Davey Woods State Nature Preserve in Tuesday, because I hear from Ohio Wildflowers that happen blue cohosh species (Caulophyllum) are start now blooming.

Tuesday was wet and cloudy and cold. I was alone.  If I am not wearing warm clothes, wet and cold is terrible worst weather forever. But if I have warm clothes, three layers, hat, and boots, wet and cold only a little bit distracting. I think really difficult distracted from Davey Woods in any weather. And because I am alone and everything is quiet, I am focused. There are wildflowers everywhere.

Red Oak

Some trees in Davey Woods are 3 or 4 feet wide and 150 feet tall. This is a very big oak, I think red oak (Quercus rubra). My bag is 1 foot wide.

Giant Blue Cohosh

 

I see immediately one flower I want see today, Early or Giant Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum giganteum). It is not common in Ohio, more often you see Blue Cohosh (C. thalictroides), but I did not see yellow Blue Cohosh flowers today, only purple. Blue Cohosh bloom a little bit more later more than Giant Cohosh, so happen maybe they are not yet ready. I can see C. thalictroides in Wright State Woods.

Yellow Trout Lily

When I walk down into ravine, I start find yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) everywhere. When I went Caesar Creek Gorge I maybe saw 10 or 20. I think in Davey Woods I saw hundreds.

 

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) are a little bit more rare wildflowers, so happen I am happy see many today. It is cold so happen they are not open.

Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabrus)

In ravine there is small stream, I think small tributary for Nettle Creek. Later it flow into Mad River, and into Miami River, Ohio River, and finally Mississippi, but it start very small. I not see fish in the water, but maybe they hide.

Spring Beauty, Yellow Trout Lily, and Harbinger-of-Spring

Harbinger-of-Spring

Hispid Buttercup

Large Flower Trillium

Large Flower Bellwort

There are many nice spring wildflowers in Davey Woods, Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica), Harbinger-of-Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) and Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) (now finished), Large Flower Trillium (Trillium grandifolium), Toadshade (Trillium sessile), Large Flower Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), Hispid Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus), Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictrioides), Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), and I know more I am forgetting.

When I start walk up to ridge from ravine, rain has stopped, and now I am hearing only birds. And, I stop, because I hear, Who who who WHO whoo who, Great Horned Owl or Barred Owl, I am not certain which. I heard it call 3 times that way. It was dark and cloudy, and I know sometimes owls do that. I really feel that day I am in different world, special world.

On ridge it is very different habitat. I think recently volunteers remove garlic mustard here, so happen there are less than herb plants. I am happy for find yellow haze, Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) flowers on many many bushes. There is not really a lot honeysuckle in this preserve, and that make me really happy.

On high ridge there is small cemetery for family in 19th century, Pence Family Cemetery. Because grave stones are old style, tall and thin, they break and happen some people fix them with cement.

False Mermaidweed

When I am start leave, I finally find other plant I am hope see today, False Mermaidweed (Floerkea prosepinacoides). It is small and weird and hope I find it in ravine with all Harbinger-of-Spring, but no, happen it is really close entrance, other side loop trail. False mermaidweed has small green flowers, and they are not yet open. This also very difficult plant take picture, because it like grow clumps together. Davey Woods is really beautiful old forest. I hope I will come here again soon.

Wildflower Weekend.

This weekend I went to Clifton Gorge, Wright State Woods, and Caesar Creek Gorge. Together, I saw more than 30 wildflower species in bloom. Here I will write about some special ones I found.

White Trout Lily. Wright State Woods, April 21, 2018

Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

Yellow Trout Lily. Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

I saw two in three our Ohio Erythronium, both white (E. albidum) and yellow (E. americanum) trout lilies in full bloom. I was really lucky for see white trout lily in two areas, both Wright State Woods and Caesar Creek Gorge. It is normal for not see many trout lily flowers, so happen I was really happy to see close to 10 yellow trout lily and more than 20 white trout lily. In Caesar Creek Gorge these soldier beetles (Cantharidae) really like the trout lily nectar, so happen I think they pollinate trout lily flowers.

Twinleaf. Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

I am really more surprised I also saw twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) in Caesar Creek Gorge! I really did not expect see it on slopes when I hike up from the creek! I never hear it is in this area before, and there is only one small group of plants. I was happy to see one flower still with some petals! Twinleaf flowers are really similar to bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) but Twinleaf is in the barberry family and bloodroot is in the poppy family. If you look really close at the twinleaf flower you can see it has really weird anthers, you only see this kind anther in Berberidaceae. Bloodroot and Twinleaf are convergent in many ways, and I think it is because they both live in early spring and need attract insects when there are not many fly around. Many early spring flowers are white with big petals or sepals. Both species have leather feel leaf that protect from cold and grow a lot more big in late spring. Both have really fragile flowers with ant dispersed seeds. I saw this plant in my friend her garden recently but this is the first time I see in wild.

Aborted Buttercup. Clifton Gorge, April 21.

Hispid Buttercup. Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

I also saw two buttercup species (Ranunculus) I never know before, Aborted Buttercup (R. abortivus) and Hispid Buttercup (R. hispidus). Aborted buttercup I found both Clifton Gorge and Caesar Creek Gorge, they were really common in more dry areas on slopes and ridge. It is a really weird flower with tiny triangle yellow petals and divided leaves. Hispid buttercup I found only in Caesar Creek Gorge in the creek floodplain. It has three lobed leaves normally, but sometimes they become one lobe on plants. Because leaves vary it is a little bit confusing.

Common Chickweed. Caesar Creek, April 22.

Spring Draba. Clifton Gorge, April 21.

I saw two tiny not native plants this weekend, they are new for me and they really are not problem. I think they are pretty and interesting and okay. First is Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) and second is Spring Draba (Draba verna). They both like more dry disturbed open areas. I saw common chickweed in both Clifton Gorge and Caesar Creek gorge in dry edge habitat. There are 4 native and 3 other not native Stellaria in Ohio, but there is no record for them in Greene or Warren counties. I only saw spring draba in one area in Clifton Gorge on this one limestone rock. There were many tiny plants and tiny white flowers. There are 3 native whitlow grass (Draba) in Ohio, but they are rare and found really more south. It is a little bit weird find this plant like disturbed areas in middle Clifton Gorge on rock, but I look at leaves, and they seem different from the native species. Maybe I am wrong but I think that make it more exciting. If this is spring draba it is plant Aldo Leopold write about and say spring draba flower is "it is no spring flower, but only a postscript to a hope." I think it is more than that here because now we really have spring, beautiful spring.

Wild Phlox. Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

Large Flower Trillium. Clifton Gorge, April 21.

Some plants I see this weekend I not yet see this year and it is really nice see them, they are Wild Phlox (Phlox divarica) and Large Flower Trillium (Trillium grandifolium). They both have pretty flowers.

Smooth Rockcress. Clifton Gorge, April 21.

One really special flower I see, finally, it is Smooth Rockcress (Boechera laevigata). I waited two months for this and finally I see first flowers Saturday. They are small and maybe normal for mustard family flowers but I think they are pretty and interesting.

Under here are some other wildflowers I see, but not all. There are many wildflowers now, it is time for Spring.

Early Meadow Rue. Clifton Gorge, April 21.

Virginia Bluebells. Clifton Gorge.

Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa). Wright State Woods, April 21.

May-apple leaves (Podophyllum peltatum). Caesar Creek Gorge, April 22.

The Vignettes of Kolomon Moser

Vignettes. Kolomon Moser. From Ver Sacrum, 1899, issue 4.

In 1899 Kolo Moser made 10 vignettes for the art nouveau magazine Ver Sacrum. I think most people who like art nouveau style don't like Moser, or maybe they think only few of his drawings are good. Many people appreciate how he is maybe first graphic design artist, but if you ask people about Art Nouveau artists they maybe know Gustav Klimt or Alphonse Mucha.

I love his drawings, and I love his most simple drawings best. These vignettes make me remember my early art style. Vignette Four is my favorite, maybe my favorite drawing forever. It is difficult for to know which line join which, and where one line start and stop. It is confusing and playful, it makes me smile.

Untitled, October 2008

I now make different kinds art, but in my old style I prefer one way, and that is black lines only with a little color sometimes. I started drawing this way, and later I learned about art nouveau. Moser inspired me make more line only art, and I still like it. But now I make many kinds of art.

Page from unfinished 'zine. 2016?

Ver Sacrum means "Sacred Spring". My blog name is "Ex Vere Sacro", means "From the Sacred Spring". I am changing, but I still remember kind art I come from. I can't forget.

Rue Anemone and Trout Lily in Wright State Woods.

Purple Cress (Cardamine douglassii)

Today I went to Wright State Woods. It is in Wright State University, and students use it for study and research. It has problems with honeysuckle and garlic mustard, but there are still many spring wildflowers. This is the first place I saw bloodroot, and I visit every spring for find it again. This year I do not need to find bloodroot, because I saw it before in Clifton Gorge and Caesar Creek Gorge, but I wanted to visit still.

Rue Anemone, Wright State Woods, Today

Wright State Woods, April 5, 2017

Cutleaf Toothwort

One wildflower I do not see in other areas is Rue Anemone (Thalictrum or Anemonella thalictrioides). It is not in Clifton Gorge and I did not see it in Caesar Creek Gorge. I do not know why, but in mid-spring, it is everywhere in Wright State Woods. Today, it and Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) are blooming everywhere. Maybe you remember False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum) from Caesar Creek. This is similar, it has similar leaves and flowers, but False Rue Anemone only has 5 petal sepals, and Rue Anemone has 6 or more.

White Trout Lily

Trout Lily Leaves

I went to Wright State Woods today to find White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) flowers. There are many many many trout lily in Wright State Woods, but there are never many blooming, most they are leaves. I only find one or two every year. This year I was ready for leave and I found two in this really big colony on the hill side. They are not yet open but I think they will open this week.

Putty Root Orchid leaves

One weird plant in Wright State Woods is Putty Root Orchid (Aplectrum hyemale). It is similar wild leek (Allium tricoccum) because it blooms in late spring or summer, but it grows leaves in fall and winter. Leaves die in late spring, and happen you only see the flower. These leaves are finished soon. I will come again for find the flowers.

I found some bloodroot today, but most are finished. I am not really disappointed. I saw many bloodroot flowers this year. It is time for other flowers, because it is spring now. Bloodroot leaves need to grow strong and sleep, so happen they can bloom again next spring.